Again, OT and not submission photos. But I might as well follow through .

All 11 bats survived, and they were taken to a wildlife center near a local university. They were fed, and brought back along with a cedar bat house so a mother can find them and take care of them. When we went to set it up, we also found an approximately two-day old baby still attached to a dead mother, that we hydrated and stuck in the house.Photos (still taken with nexus 5, 2.0.2.45 sfos) and a closeup of a dehydrated baby:

To clarify as well: I wasn't drunk when I went shooting. I was also raised around guns, and learned gun safety at an early age -- along with the idea that guns stay locked up unless necessary. I've never known anyone (anecdotal) to be injured in a gun-related accident, yet know two people who have separately stopped robberies from escalating through their use of legally concealed firearms.

The US isn't quite as absurd when it comes to gun ownership as many internet communities would infer. Additionally in my state, civilians are required to go to multiple gun safety classes before they can even pursue a concealed carry permit. I like to think of the rare injury as natural selection's vengeance however ;P

The place is called Freedom Square. No, it's not the reason for the photo, it's only coincidence. What made me consider the place was its history.

Province I live in has quite interesting history. Independences, partitions, tens of principalities, belonging to half of European states (ok, maybe not so much, Poland, Bohemia, Hungary (once), Austria, Prussia, German Empire, Poland, III Reich, Poland...), and even one Mongol invasion (13th century, battle of Legnica, the most western point of Genghis' empire armies reach). So, inhabitants from many nations (well, no Mongols I know of), strong bunch of "locals" with no respect to surrounding states and all neighbours claiming "Ours!" for this or that reason.

The city I live in was established mere 150 years ago, under German rule. The square was named Wilhelmsplatz (William's Square) in honor of German emperor Wilhelm I and in the middle a monument was erected -- Zweikaiserdenkmal (Two Emperors Monument) -- for Wilhelm I and Friedrich III.

When I World War ended, the province was still disputed between Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia. After three Polish uprisings, some civil war and plebiscite... all got some; the city became capital of Polish part of the province. In the meantime, some time between the second and third uprising, the monument was blown up by insurgents.
Soon, there was a new one -- the monument-grave of an unknown insurgent. Square became Freedom Square for the first time.

In 1939 Germans came back, this time with Hitler; the monument of insurgent was demolished soon and the whole province was incorporated into Nazi Germany. The square became Wilhelmsplatz again.

In 1945, after Red Army throw the Germans out and the city with most, but not whole province became Polish again, a new monument was built (on Freedom Square), as a thanks to Red Army soldiers. In '50s whole city was shortly renamed to Stalinogród (~Stalin's Borough) and another monument was erected (still for Red Army soldiers, though).

After 1989 more and more objections were held against the Red Army conduct back in '45 and eventually in 2014 the monument was moved to a Soviet war cementery nearby.

What you see in the picture is the empty pedestal left from the last monument. No proposition for any new "tenant" got much traction so far.

I like it this way; I see no point in erecting another monument that will inevitably mean "pride" to some but "oppression" to others. As is, it means to me the most basic freedom one can get from the powers - "just let us be".

Made with N9, slightly cropped.

Last edited by briest; 2016-07-29 at 13:31.
Reason: corrected one "false friend"

End of an intense month for me.
Barely saw the day of light and realized that the small freedoms left are here to be exercised extensively.
Like looking at the sky from a lounger for some relaxing minutes.